Sunday, August 30, 2009

My improv troupe just added 8 members to our ranks. I love performing and a do enjoy performing with new players. A lot of people don’t for many reasons. You have a groove and you’re comfortable with your performance. Then it gets screwed up when you teamed up with someone who just doesn’t know how you perform and they don’t have the experience.

I want to share a few tips over the next few blogs about how to get comfortable performing improv for the first time in front of an audience.

Here are some words that I would use to describe a new performer:

Eager
Excited
Scared
Inexperienced
Low Confidence

Tip #1 – Don’t feel the need to come on stage

Here’s the situation. You’re a new player and scene has started. You stand backstage looking for your moment to enter the scene. ADVICE: Don’t enter the stage. Stand there and listen to what is going on and wait. Realize that those who are on stage are setting up the action for the next scene. Listen and understand who you need to be in the next scene. Soon they will walk off stage for the next scene or you’ll have the opportunity to wipe to the next scene.

I’ve been there many times, I’m a fresh player and I’m standing in the back pressuring myself to insert myself somehow. In your mind, you’re saying to yourself, “I have to get on stage. I have to get on stage.” NO YOU DON”T. Remember the actors currently on stage are setting you up for the next scene. The problem is when you insert yourself you interrupt your set up. You prevent the other two actors to set you up properly.

Also, early in an improv career, scene with three people on stage are death. It’s not that it can’t work, but now you have three people fighting to get their lines out. It gets worse if there are four people.

Here’s what I tell every new person who I perform with. Until you become a little more seasoned, no more than 2 people on stage at one time. Trust that we are going to give you an opportunity to be in the game, but in the next scene. Better yet, I will sometime make the new player start the scene with me.

Tip #2 – Never perform counter scenes or teach me scenes

I’m going to use the word “never” here because we’re talking new performers. I’ve seen and done counter scenes and teach me scene but only with experience.

By counter scene, I’m talking about scene where one person is selling something to another. By teaching scene, I’m talking about scene where you teach me how to do something, such as dance or do karate.

The problem is counter or selling scenes is that you have two strangers coming together and having to describe a product or service in the wackiest way and the pay off is whether they buy it or not. Teach me scenes are dependent on how wacky you can make your dance or karate scene. These scenes will put your audience to sleep faster than a Lifetime movie.

Instead, let us remember of one of the key tenants of improv is relationships. Your scene should not be about selling a product, teaching the latest dance move or washing a car. Your scene is about the relationship between the two characters on stage. We have a little exercise where the two characters on stage have a conversation about some conflict, while doing something like washing a car. The rule is that during this conversation, no one can talk about washing the car.

Walking and chewing gum is more like it.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Improv Tweets for 8/14/09

Improv Comedy Journal

9:01 AM - Disney parking lot set for third theme park site
The strawberry field is now going to be a temporary parking lot. If the economy improves in 6 years then there is the possibility of another themepark. - (Delicous)

4:42 PM - mypalal: Just won a VIP Party for 12 at the Brea Improv. Who's in? - (Twitter)